EXPLORING TRIP

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1933, Page 8

EXPLORING TRIP

j DISCOVERY IN NEW GUINEA STONE AGE: NATIVES FOUND Four, white men returned to civilisation last month after an exploring trip through the wilds of New Guinea, during which they traversed an area of 4500 square miles, and came in contact with about 200,000 natives whose existence was previously unknown. In th e course of the journey, which lasted five months, they covered 1000 miles. Their explorations would have been impossible had aeroplanes not co-operated with them and carried food and supplies. The four men were Mr J. L. Taylor, assistant-district officer in the Territory ; and Messrs M. J. Leahy, D. Leahy, and K. Spinks. Messrs M. J. Leahy and Spinks were employed by 'New' Guinea Goldfields, Limited, hq prospect certain sections of the area between, the Bismarck Range and the Papuan territorial boundary. The Administration desired to know something of the area, and it was decided to avoid duplication and to send the parties out together. Mr Taylor, who arrived in Sydney recently on a holiday trip, siad that around the headwaters of the Purari River the party found native races whidh had not been heard of before. In all, about 200,000 natives were discovered. They were a most intelligent (people, employing methods of afforestation which are not out of place in a civilised community, and they were tilling, the ground in an intensive fashio.n.

The area explored was one of the most fertile and healthy in the whole of New Guinea, Mr Taylor said. It had an elevation of between 5000 and

7500 feet, and was mainly grassy plain country. Trees were not plentiful, but the natives planted the seed of the forest oak in suitable places, spacing them out in a long straight line in the way used in the modern afforestation schemes.

The people’s staple item of diet was the sweet potato, which was cultivated intensively. “I can only compare their gardens with Chinese market gardens,” said Mr Taylor “The ground was tilled with wooden hoes, but the stone implements used by the natives wer e among the finest ever used by a stone-age people. REMARKABLE BATTLE-AXE A battle-axe was brought to 'Sydney by Mr M. J. Leahy, who, with his brother, returned lately also. This was a masterpiece of native workmanship, fashioned from a greyish sub-volconic rock, the head of the axe was ground to a smoothness which made it difficult to believe that only the most primir tire of methods were used in shaping the crude stone. '

About half the people lived in villages, Mr Taylor said, with 30 to 100 circular 'houses in each village. About Mount Hagen, however, the people lived in isolated homesteads, each family living away from the rest of th« ; tribe. The people were a most peaceable race, and Mr Taylor was able to 'trace no cannibalism. Unfortunately, Mr Taylor and his companions were not able to spend sufficient tim e . to conduct a complete investigation of the customs of the natives.

At one village a curious iheident occurred. All the, natives were heavily bearded, and had a patriarchal appearance. When the four white men entered the village they were received hospitably, but they noticed that the natives were curious about something, Finally, the chief of the village, by the aid of an expressive code of signs, asked, “Where are your beards?” Mr Taylor was interested in the curency system used by the hatives. In the course of centuries large numbers of sea shells have been brought into th* area, and the- various types of these have different values. The most valuable is the gold dip shell. One of these is worth' a pig, and four of them constitute the usual marriage settlement.

, USE OF AEROPLANES Mr Taylor said that the work of the expedition was facilitated by the use of aeroplanes. Machines' owned by Guinea Airways, Limited, and Holden’s, Limited, were used to transpot food and supplies to the expedition as it made its way through hitherto unknown country. Seven native police and 80 carriers were taken on the journey, and at suitable intervals the whole party set to work to build aerodromes. Then a system of smoke signals was used to guide the aeroplanes. Mr Leahy said that he had carefully prospected all the area passed through. Although there were traces of gold in many spots, he did not think it would warrant exploration on a large scale. New Guinea Goldfields had decided not to make any further investigations for the time being. Mr Leahy said that be was anxious to go,further into the hinterland, and, if possible, to reach the Dutch border. He intoned to return next year, and proposed to float a company to finance his prospecting operations.